Mari Castañeda

Mari Castañeda is an Associate Professor of Communications at UMass Amherst. Her research interests involve the study of new media and telecommunication policy, Latina/ethnic media studies, and transcultural political economy of communication industries. Her work has appeared in Television and New Media, Latino Studies. and Journal of Radio Studies. She is the author of two books, Soap operas and telenovelas in the digital age: Global industries and new audiences and the forthcoming Mothers’ lives in academia.

Marcos Marrero

Marcos Marrero is the director of planning and economic development for the city of Holyoke. Before taking the post in May, Marrero was a land use and environment planner with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. He holds a master’s degree in public affairs and urban and regional planning from Princeton University. Previously, he was chief of staff of the New York City Energy Policy Office and deputy adviser to the governor of Puerto Rico on federal affairs. Marrero was born in New York City and grew up in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he received a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from the University of Puerto Rico.